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Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jeremy Lin embraces mentorship role with Asian American college players
[Source] Last week, former NBA star Jeremy Lin launched the inaugural JLIN NextGen Basketball Camp in his hometown of Palo Alto, California, bringing together 12 standout Asian American college players for a three-day, invitation-only training program. The camp marks Lin's formal shift from professional athlete to mentor as he invests in developing the next generation of talent. At 36, Lin is still active professionally with the New Taipei Kings in Taiwan but is now channeling his experience into building up the next generation. As the first Taiwanese American to play in the NBA, his journey remains a defining moment for Asian American representation in sports. 'Every time I hear about [Linsanity], I'm like, 'Don't tell me how old you were when it happened. ... A lot of people still care about it,'' he told the Bay Area News Group. Lin led the camp's training sessions personally, offering insight and guidance to athletes navigating a path few have taken. Training covered skill development, strength conditioning and professional insights from Lin, who emphasized leadership and mindset alongside basketball fundamentals. Lin said he hopes the camp will foster a stronger sense of identity and connection among Asian American athletes, many of whom are often the only ones representing their background on their teams. He also urged generational unity, expressing frustration when older Asian American athletes criticize younger ones instead of uplifting them. Trending on NextShark: This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices. Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community. Trending on NextShark: Subscribe here now! Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
Straits Times
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Adroit's ex-internationals hope Singapore basketball can rise despite baptism of fire in regional tourney
Adroit's Ng Han Bin taking a shot in the 105-65 loss to New Taipei Kings in their Basketball Champions League Asia - East Group B game in Taiwan on April 29. PHOTO: FIBA SINGAPORE – Midway through the first quarter of their game against New Taipei Kings on April 29, Singapore's National Basketball League (NBL) champions Adroit were leading 14-10, with Leon Kwek grabbing seven points. Their brief lead during their opening Basketball Champions League Asia-East Group B match in Xinzhuang Gymnasium, Taiwan, brought back memories of a time when professional basketball in Singapore existed and flourished with the Singapore Slingers. Alas, despite featuring several former Slingers like Jay Shay Lin, Ng Han Bin, Toh Qing Huang and Kwek, Adroit remain an amateur side training just once a week to face professionals. The local players met imports Ihor Serheiev, Sergeii Pryimak and Oleksandr Kolchenko for the first time on match day, eventually losing 105-65 to the Taiwan Professional Basketball League leaders. Adroit coach Ng Choon Hong said: 'We are not a professional team, so we train very little and it's hard to compare with the opponents, whose stamina is very good and shooting is very sharp.' Kwek, who registered a team-high 18 points and five rebounds, added: 'Once everyone settles into the game, the team chemistry, habits and structure come into play and that's where the Kings showed the difference. 'We just want to showcase how Singaporeans can play at the international stage even though many of us have retired from the national team. I feel for the younger generation, because they need to have something to work towards and this is the challenge for Singapore basketball to navigate and get there.' In 2023, the Asean Basketball League stopped play indefinitely after 14 years, leaving the Slingers in dormancy. Since then, the only regular competition local basketballers could get was the NBL. Adroit's victory in the domestic league in 2024 earned them a spot in the Champions League Asia-East, giving the players more game time. Ng, who scored 15 points and six rebounds against the Taiwanese side, hopes something can be done for the next generation of Singapore players. The 36-year-old personal wealth director said: 'For the Slingers to work, we required the sponsorship from Mr Wee (Siew Kim, former Slingers owner), (former general manager) Michael Johnson being away from his country for so long to run the show, coach Neo (Beng Siang) coaching selflessly, and the players putting in the time and hard work. 'Now, there are academies run by former national players like (Wong) Wei Long, Leon, Larry (Liew), (Wong) Zhong Han and Kelvin (Lim). I believe with the help of the authorities, they will be open to work together to create a pipeline for the younger generation. 'If we really want to build a professional pathway, the focus must be on the young players from age 10-14 so we can give ourselves some time to build something together.' While pursuing careers off the court, the ex-internationals still aim to perform well in the BCL Asia-East tournament, featuring eight clubs from East and Southeast Asia. The top two teams from each group reach the semi-finals, with the best two advancing to the Basketball Champions League Asia. In a double round-robin format, Adroit will face Thailand's Hi-Tech and Mongolia's Ulaanbaatar Xac Broncos in Bangkok on May 2 and 3. They're playing home games there as no suitable venue in Singapore met Fiba's seating and broadcast standards, and the OCBC Arena was unavailable. Kwek, the 28-year-old founder of True Grind Basketball academy, said: 'The main challenge will be in the logistics and we have to figure out a lot of things on the fly, but the Thai counterparts have been very helpful. We know it's going to be tough, but we want to give a good account of ourselves and go for a win.' David Lee is senior sports correspondent at The Straits Times focusing on aquatics, badminton, basketball, cue sports, football and table tennis. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
